A standard piece of luggage has a body provided on one edge with a latch and hinged to a cover or other body part that has an edge provided with a strike retainable by the latch to hold the piece of luggage or the like closed. The latch has a housing in which a release button is displaceable against the force of a spring. A retaining dog coupled to the release button can be moved thereby between a position engaging and retaining the strike and a position allowing the strike to move out of the latch.
As a rule such a latch is a fairly complex piece of equipment comprised of many parts that must be carefully manufactured and fitted together. As a result the cost of a pocketbook, piece of luggage, briefcase, or the like equipped with such a latch can be elevated simply by the cost of the latch itself, even when the item is otherwise intended to be inexpensive.